I broke my 10 cent Nintendo DS, what did I do?

keithsarcade

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So last year I found an original DS at a yard sale for 10 cents. It was the system only with a GBA game in it, no charger and obviously dead. When I got it home and charged it I was suprised to find out it acually worked, only issue was the touch screen was faulty and wouldn't calibrate properly.

So today I find another DS at another yard sale, $1 this time, system only and dead. This one had a bulged battery, and when I put a good battery in it it worked all the way except it wouldn't charge.

So anyway, I decided I was going to take the lower screen from it and put it in the one I bought last year, thinking this would be a fully working DS when I got done with it. Now I can turn it on but it immediately shuts itself off. I have checked all my connections numerous times and can't find the problem. I have tried swapping numerous parts, all kinds of combinations and have even gone so far as to put solder over the fuses on the mainboard. No dice. Both systems are doing this now.

Can't really complain as I use the 3DS now anyway, and I'm only out $1.10, big wow. But I'd really love to know what I did wrong. Any clues?
 
Double check that the ribbon cables and tiny plastic clips for the lower screen are all reconnected properly.

Have you tried putting the 'broken' lower screen that won't calibrate back into the original unit and see if it still works? Clean out any grit that's worked its way between the case and the touch screen.

- James
 
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Double check that the ribbon cables and tiny plastic clips for the lower screen are all reconnected properly.

Have you tried putting the 'broken' lower screen that won't calibrate back into the original unit and see if it still works? Clean out any grit that's worked its way between the case and the touch screen.

- James

The DS definitely behaves like that when the ribbon cable's not connected properly. It could be something else, but that's really the most probable cause.
 
it is usually the ribbon that connects the top screen to the system board, it is a pain and must be pushed in all the way. i had a hell of a time with my kids ds lite when i replaced a broken top screen.

parts are readily available and pretty cheap for the ds on ebay.
 
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